Soldier, historian, and public official, Desmond Pulaski Hopkins (1838-1918) lived in
Lamar County, Texas, until 1855, when he moved to San Marcos. He served as a notary
public before joining the Confederate Army during the Civil War. In 1861, Hopkins
became a lieutenant in the Frontier Regiment of Company F in the 33rd Texas Cavalry.
The Frontier Regiment comprised of Texas Rangers authorized by the Texas Legislature
to protect the northern and western frontier of Texas. After the war, Hopkins served
as deputy United States marshal, Hays County district clerk, Hays County
commissioner, and San Marcos city assessor and collector, a position he held for 25
years. As an amateur historian and journalist, Hopkins wrote on Texas history for
Hays County newspapers and the Dallas Herald.

A diary and scrapbook compose the Desmond Pulaski Hopkins Papers, [ca. 1855]-1873,
and document his Confederate military experiences and work as an amateur Texas
historian and journalist. The diary, 1862-1865, describes Hopkins’ Civil War
experiences while serving in the Frontier Regiment of Company F in the 33rd Texas
Cavalry. The scrapbook, [ca. 1855]-1873, consists of newspaper articles by Hopkins
about the early history of Hays County and San Marcos, including a visit by Sam
Houston.

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light" project, 2009-2011.